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WALKING…it does a body good
By Louise Bastarache, CNM, NP, MS
There is an overwhelming amount of health information spewing out of all the various forms of media in our everyday lives. Many trends are philosophies for healthy living, disease prevention or cures, numerous weight loss diets, various supplements, and much more. The list goes on. There comes a time when we need to sit back and ponder about what the human body truly needs. What can we really do to impact our physical and mental health today? The technology of the 21st Century has created a society of electronic gadgets, fast foods, and sedentary people. This evolution is fostering chronic disease, obesity, mental illness, and many other conditions. How can we be proactive and help ourselves? The answer is simply: Daily Walking.
Movement is one of the most fundamental needs for maintaining and restoring the physical and mental health of the human body. Basic nursing care demonstrates how important it is to keep the body moving. For example, surgical patients are coaxed out of bed as soon as possible to help the lungs expand preventing pneumonia, to improve circulation preventing blood clots and to help the intestines keep moving food and gas along, preventing abdominal pain and constipation. Stroke victims are quickly initiated into a physical therapy program that allows their affected limbs and body to repeatedly move in various motions to enhance recovery. Sedated or bedridden patients are regularly turned side to side throughout the day and night, along with range of motion exercises to do for the body what it cannot do for itself, that is, move.
Walking is one of the easiest, cheapest and most effective approaches in moving your body to stay physically active and enhance your overall health. For all ages, walking is the safest form of aerobic exercise. Examples of recent studies were summed up In UpToDate. The Nurses’ Health Study of 72,488 women between the ages of 40 and 65 found that brisk walking lessened the frequency of cardiac incidents even in previously sedentary women. In the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study it was determined that “prolonged sitting” predicted an increase in cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, studies are proving that people who walk consistently develop fewer illnesses, i.e. their immune system’s response is enhanced by the movement, as compared to those who are inactive. Through these and other scientific investigations, walking has been recognized ultimately as being the best exercise for overall health and wellness. Even the famous Greek physician Hippocrates believed that walking was “man’s best medicine”.
In pregnancy, walking is likewise the best exercise. It increases blood flow, lessens edema, keeps blood sugar levels normal, maintains flexibility, enhances sleep, and clears the mind of anxiety. When performing an exercise repeatedly over time, the body is strengthened and synchronized to the movement making it less strenuous. In the first trimesters it may be easier to maintain speed and distance. But, even in the third trimester, it is very reasonable to continue to walk 1-2 miles per day at a slower pace or in divided intervals (if you have no medical complications).
Walk with positive rhythmic movements, starting at your own pace and increase speed and length of the walk over time. You can start with a three minute warm up, walk with a brisk pace for ten minutes, and then cool down for three minutes. Once you master this, challenge yourself. Try to walk two miles in thirty minutes, warming up and cooling down before and after to prevent injury. This would be the goal for the novice walker.
Use properly fitting shoes and choose places to walk that are pleasant and uplifting. There is also research to support using a pedometer to track your steps. Challenge yourself to achieve 10,000 steps per day. This is for optimum health maintenance and translates to 5 miles of walking per day! If you want to lose weight, you need to increase your steps up to 15,000 steps per day. Try walking barefoot once in a while also…it does a body good!
Louise Bastarache, CNM, NP, MS
Wareham Nurse Midwives…
Empowering Women to Birth NATURALLY
Wareham Nurse Midwives, PC
332 Main Street
Wareham, MA
If you would like to make an appointment or for more information, please call (508)295-3088.
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